Jeff Probst on the upcoming Survivor finale: "I love that we’ll have our finale on a Wednesday! It just feels new and fresh and fun! We’re changing things up in other ways too. To start with, I’ll be live from the beginning of the two-hour finale. I’ll also be live at the end of every act. I’ll be interacting via social media @jeffprobst with fans at home and in the audience. We’re endeavoring to make this more of a shared event rather than a passive viewing experience. I’m excited. I think it’s going to add a nice bit of energy to the show. As for the finale itself, still more surprises to come regarding how it finishes and two of the most exciting challenges of any finale. Then we have the reunion. where we’ll focus on some of the more interesting relationships of this season — there is definitely a lot of unfinished business that we’ll deal with. I anticipate a really fun night to finish off a really fun season!"

Michael Sam deserves every last bit of bad press he's getting for committing to do his own reality show. I hope he gets cut from the Rams prior to week 1. That is all.

Here's a recap from Deadline on where things stand post-upfront: "Pilots left in contention at the networks they were developed at include comedies Cabot College at Fox, where its has been eying a six-episode order; Sober Companion, also at Fox; and Gaffigan at CBS; as well as drama Agent X, whose pilot is being retooled, at TNT. CW’s Supernatural: Bloodlines is dead but the network will take another stab at a Supernatural spinoff next season.

"How I Met Your Dad, which didn’t go to series at CBS, leads the pack of passed over pilots that are being shopped to other networks. (Digital platforms like Netflix are considered a possibility for the How I Met Your Mother spinoff, along with traditional networks like Fox or NBC.). Other pilots that are expected to be taken out include two comedies that were in contention at ABC, Kevin Hart’sKeep It Together and the Michael Imperioli starrer St. Francis, as well as the Rob Lowe-Rob Riggle half-hour The Pro, which was in the running at NBC.

"Of the recently cancelled series, ABC comedy Suburgatoryis being taken out. Cult NBC comedy Community has not been shopped but there has been incoming interest and, while there initially there was little intention on part of the producers to continue the series elsewhere, that is now considered a possibility. Also not done fighting is freshman CBS comedy Friends with Better Lives."

More from Deadline, "Fox just can’t wait for the fake-out to begin. The network said today that it is bumping up the premiere of its summer reality yarn I Wanna Marry Harry by a week to May 20, following Night 1 of the two-part American Idol finale. The show had been set to bow at 9 PM May 27, following the time-slot premiere of celebrity game show Riot, which bowed to a 0.5/1 in the post-Glee spot on Tuesday. Marry Harry, from Zig Zag Productions and Ryan Seacrest Productions, follows 12 American women who are flown to London to court uber-bachelor Prince Harry. Little do they know, dude’s an impostor."

The Wire ranks the top 24 shows, which have not even yet aired, that are most likely to be canceled. If Anthony Anderson's Black-ish gets 66 episodes, as predicted, I'll eat a big old plate of crow.

Per EW, "ABC’s new singing competition has lined up a high-powered host and panel of experts.

"Rising Star has signed singer-songwriter Josh Groban as host of the summer series. In addition, pop sensation Kesha and hip-hop artist and actor Ludacris have come on board as experts, along with country star Brad Paisley, who was previously reported as likely joining the series.

"ABC hopes to break into the singing competition game with Rising Star‘s unique live format, which has proven popular in other countries. Here’s how it works: The singer takes the stage with a big video wall separating her from the audience. She starts to sing, and viewers vote on her performance using a smartphone app in real time. As the song progresses, photos of the fans voting for her are shown on the giant video screen. If she reaches a certain level of votes, the screen goes up and reveals her to the audience — thus, a 'rising' star. ABC previously tried to crack into the genre two years ago with the short-lived Duets. ABC’s teaser promo below illustrates the concept.

"Since viewers determine if a singer advances in real time, Paisley, Kesha and Ludacris will not make elimination decisions like on other talent shows. Instead, they’ll simply offer guidance and feedback. The Rising Star team is set to appear for the first time together during ABC’s presentation of the2014 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, May 18 (which Ludacris is hosting). Rising Star will premiere Sunday, June 22 at 9 p.m."